Greetings, I have always just used a regular "laptop" but I'm heading back to school and I need something new for school that isn't the 8 pound desktop replacement from work!

I started looking around and I was really interested in something that was both a regular laptop and that had a screen I could "write" on with some form of digital pen. In addition to typing notes and papers and using Excel I want to be able to be able to possible take handwritten notes (to capture designs or write formulas/equations from the whiteboard) and to sketch my own designs and such.

My main concern (and by "concern" I mean 'woeful ignorance of the entire landscape of these devices') about these convertible machines like the Yoga is that they're more for "touch" and not for "taking notes/sketching." Is that correct? Or am I wrong and there's an option to, like, turn off screen response (in tablet mode) EXCEPT to a digital pen?

I would think, on first blush, that I would want something more akin to the older laptops that have the hinge in the middle but I don't really seem to see those being marketed anymore (presumably because the tablet/convertible/Win8 market is so hot right now?). And those machines seem pretty heavy compared to this new crop of convertibles.

So can anyone clear up maybe what it is I am looking for and maybe some recommendations?

In the past, most Windows Tablet PCs had digital pens and touch was added as an option relatively recently thanks to the popularity of the iPad and touch screen phones. With Windows 8 tablets, it's reversed: you get touch, but less often a digital pen and dual digitizer. So you're right, the Yoga and some other upcoming products don't offer a digital pen, which is a shame for artists and note-takers. There will be some models that do offer that feature, and Lenovo's own ThinkPad X230t now ships with Windows 8 and has the dual digitizer option. It's a lovely convertible with a center swivel hinge.

I've given onenote a try on the yoga and it works pretty well, even using a finger for freehand notes. the touch screen is fast enough to keep up with any writing. I imagine one of those capacitive 'touch' pens you can get for under $15 would make it a lot easier too.

I was very taken with the hp envy spectre but the day windows 8 was released I saw the yoga with its high res IPS screen and I couldn't resist. It's a very versatile machine and the whole concept works better than I thought it would. faults if any are lack of back lit keyboard & it's too big for comfortable tablet work resting on the crook of your arm.I thought about waiting for some of the more tablet-centric models to appear but it seems screen resolution loses out on those machines.

Speaking of the Yoga, does anyone know when the Orange one is going to be available? I only see the silver one on their website and when that little "live chat" thing appears they seem to not even know what I'm talking about

Ha! I though I was the only one who loved the orange IdeaPad exterior. I wish I could tell you exactly when it will be available, but Lenovo just assures me it will be "soon". That could mean a week or two months, based on previous IdeaPad Ultrabook launches .

I think I'm leaning towards to x230t based on the number of really really positive reviews I've read of it (including Lisa's) and the fact that my primary goal is "standard" computing (papers, statistics, programming, etc) and in-class note taking.

I think my only remaining question is if there is a product that is a "direct" competitor to the x230t I would want to check out (I'm always terrified I'll completely miss a product or buy something 2 days before something better [that somehow everyone knows about but me])? By that I mean something with Wacom technology that is less about the "tablet" and more about the standard computing and digital pen input.

a colleague has an x230 (not T) and he is very complimentary of the yoga.the 230 is what I consider a pedigree thinkpad.. very nice. Much more flexible with upgrades, I found the touchpad on it looked small however I'd imagine the T version resolves that issue. I generally use the 'eraserhead' if a machine has one.